HELP - sewing 4 layers of ripstop - issues

**jmudler** · 09-10-2008, 15:15

Thanks for all the responses! To answer a couple of the responses.

Yes the machine is one of the old, black, heavy machines.

The material is uncoated 1.9oz ripstop.

I have the manual and confident the threading and needle is installed correctly (flat side to the left).

The tread is breaking at the needle.

I have only used brand new needles size 10-16

I have decent success (1-2") when I turn the wheel by hand, but it does take a considerable about of pressure.

When I pull on the thread the needle is deflected a great deal. I would be concerned about breaking the needle. The thread is in between the disks but I can not adjust the disks to be free and easy to pull the thread. I think the adjustment spring is not the correct one. I will try skipping the disks and go straight to the spring and see if that at least stops breaking the thread.

http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollect...es/image26.htm

I may be able to lengthen the shaft (N) in the link above or reduce spring pressure. I also noticed it is skipping stitches too.

**TiredFeet** · 09-10-2008, 16:52

Originally Posted by jmudler

I have decent success (1-2") when I turn the wheel by hand, but it does take a considerable about of pressure.

When I pull on the thread the needle is deflected a great deal. I would be concerned about breaking the needle. The thread is in between the disks but I can not adjust the disks to be free and easy to pull the thread. I think the adjustment spring is not the correct one. I will try skipping the disks and go straight to the spring and see if that at least stops breaking the thread.

Your machine needs to be seen by a professional repairman for adjustment and oiling.

When you pull the thread through the needle, the needle MAY be deflected slightly, usually no deflection and never by a large amount as you describe. As Spock wrote, the thread is being jammed somewhere. DO NOT by-pass the tension disks.

Turning the wheel by hand should be easy and not hard unless you are forcing it through very, very heavy material.

Again, your machine needs to be seen by a professional repairman for adjustment and oiling.

Also, ask the repairman to quickly go over operation with you. They can point out a lot of hints that make operating the machine easier and better.

**fred1diver** · 09-10-2008, 18:06

lift your presser foot and try to pull the thread, is it loose?
if not the tensioning mechanism is the problem.
if you loosen the tension, even with the foot down, you should be able to pull the thread with some resistance, with the foot up no resistance should be felt at all.
I second a tune-up.
did you try oiling the machine?, if not it will be included in the tune-up.

good luck, I have about the same model as you, built like a tank
with a little fine tuning it should run like a charm.
FRED

**jmudler** · 09-11-2008, 08:23

Yes I performed a full lube job with singer products. I am not trying to sound arrogant, but this is the first mechanical thing I have not been able to fix.

I have one last thing to check and if it doesnt work I have a repair shop who also has classes around the corner.

**Ramblinrev** · 09-11-2008, 08:50

as long as the timing is good those machines are reasonably easy to maintain. Not sure how hard the timing is to adjust. My wife always took care of that on her older machines. She was sewing professionally and couldn't afford to be down the machine. She got real good at it.

**fin** · 09-11-2008, 12:25

Originally Posted by jmudler

Thanks for all the responses! To answer a couple of the responses.

Yes the machine is one of the old, black, heavy machines.

The material is uncoated 1.9oz ripstop.

I have the manual and confident the threading and needle is installed correctly (flat side to the left).

The tread is breaking at the needle.

I have only used brand new needles size 10-16

I have decent success (1-2") when I turn the wheel by hand, but it does take a considerable about of pressure.

When I pull on the thread the needle is deflected a great deal. I would be concerned about breaking the needle. The thread is in between the disks but I can not adjust the disks to be free and easy to pull the thread. I think the adjustment spring is not the correct one. I will try skipping the disks and go straight to the spring and see if that at least stops breaking the thread.

http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollect...es/image26.htm

I may be able to lengthen the shaft (N) in the link above or reduce spring pressure. I also noticed it is skipping stitches too.

It will skip stitches if the tension is not correct. This I know from experience.

Don't you have a tension release bar, to raise the presser foot? If you raise the presser foot it should relieve the tension on the thread between the disks. If you then pull on the thread, it should pull freely. If not, your issue is in the thread tension. From there, it is repairman time.

**Spock** · 09-11-2008, 17:26

One more thing. Your machine should sew through 16 layers of 1.9 oz silnylon or as much fabric of any kind that will fit under the presser foot. Four layers is nothing.

Your description contains 2 separate issues - the thread and the difficulty in turning. The machine should break the thread and still turn reasonably easily - if you are using polyester thread. The difficulty turning sounds more and more like a lubrication problem either in the top unit or the bottom unit. You have to take the machine apart to get to all the lube points requiring grease rather than oil.

**jmudler** · 09-12-2008, 12:01

Originally Posted by Spock

One more thing. Your machine should sew through 16 layers of 1.9 oz silnylon or as much fabric of any kind that will fit under the presser foot. Four layers is nothing.

Your description contains 2 separate issues - the thread and the difficulty in turning. The machine should break the thread and still turn reasonably easily - if you are using polyester thread. The difficulty turning sounds more and more like a lubrication problem either in the top unit or the bottom unit. You have to take the machine apart to get to all the lube points requiring grease rather than oil.

Without the threading the machine it turns smooth as butter. Do to family obligations I have not had a chance to touch the machine since last weekend. I will try the suggestions posted and If I am still having trouble I will take it to the repair shop.